The Zoning Board of Appeals set forth an ambitious plan to hear a Moosehill Road traffic study at their next affordable housing proposal meeting on May 8.

Going under the assumption Selectmen would approve funding for a traffic engineer – which they did later that night in a separate meeting – ZBA planned the study for the morning of May 5.

The board hopes the report will be filed and ready for review three days later for their next meeting about the proposed 174-unit proposed affordable housing complex on Moosehill Road.

Litigation over the 40B complex is currently out in three courts. Developer Barberry Homes is due before the state Housing Appeals Committee on May 12 at which point Walpole can file an opposition to the proposal.

ZBA chairman Jim Stanton said the quick turnaround on the traffic study didn’t have anything to do with the Housing Appeals hearing, rather his board wanted to show the committee they were doing their due diligence locally on the proposal even after Barberry Homes refused to meet with them. He said he’s also cognizant of the open hearing 180-day closing period coming up in June.

Selectmen set aside $10,000 to pay for a traffic expert but Town Administrator Michael Boynton said he doesn’t believe the bill will come in that high.